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9

Aug. 5th.

Left Port Darwin after having been detained two days longer than necessary under the pretext
that they could not get water to fill all the tanks of which five were put ashore from the Vortigern.
The horses had been trans-shipped on the very day of our arrival. There was very bad management evinced in this respect
and it was the means of keeping the poor horses on board ship for at least two or three days more than necessary.

During the next week there was little or nothing to record, no events of any consequence
transpiring. We made only about twenty or thirty miles a day. It seems that one of the
principal causes for our delay at Port Darwin was that the Captain of the schooner did not hold a Masters Certificate
for holding command of a sea going boat but merely a coasting certifcate as met with some account in
in South Wales. I may here express my sense of his willingness to cooperate in everything tending
to the welfare of the men and horses of the expedition. He was active and a good sailor though his knowledge of
navigation was very deficient being I suppose only sufficient to keep a dead reckoning. He received some
aid in respect of navigation from one of his hands a young fellow named Philpots (Philpots)
who stated that he was a grandson of the late Bishop of Exeter and who seemed a well educated youngster.

Each day we had just sufficient breeze in the morning and evening as to tantalise us, land and sea breezes
lasting over an hour or so and very light. We had no fresh meat but in other respects did not fare badly
though we were often reminded of the saying so frequently quoted aboard ship that the good God sends vittles but the devil
sends cooks. Our cook was a failure and dirty though a willing old fellow.

Caught a shark about six feet in length on one occasion which gave rise to some writing in
diaries.